Source: China Consumer Daily
Recently, many consumers have reported that low-price sales of goods often appear on e-commerce platforms, displaying large packages, but receiving small packages and "mini" packs after placing orders.
The picture on the left shows the large package displayed by the merchant, and the picture on the right shows the "mini" package actually received
Recently, the reporter of "China Consumer Daily" unveiled the routine through experience.
01
The video advertisement says "99 yuan to get 8 large cans"
The journalist experience reveals the tricks behind it
Not long ago, Ms. Hu, a consumer in Fuzhou, complained that she watched an online video advertisement and bought "8 large cans of 99 yuan" pumpkin seeds online, but received 8 cans of "mini" canned pumpkin seeds.
After searching for keywords, the reporter saw such a video advertisement on the online platform.
In front of the anchor are 8 cylindrical jars filled with pumpkin seeds. Visually speaking, the diameter of a single jar is about 8 centimeters, the height is more than 20 centimeters, and the pumpkin seeds in the jar are estimated to be 500 grams.
The background of the video advertisement is a large warehouse, the picture is marked with the words "authentic Xinjiang pumpkin seed kernels", "real material origin direct sales", "delicious and inexpensive", and the purchase link reads "National Free Shipping", "New Altay Pumpkin Seed Kernels", "New Pumpkin Seeds 99 Yuan to 8 large cans".
The anchor said, "I thought that I could buy 4 cans for 2 figures, which was already very affordable, but I didn't expect to get 8 cans directly today, a full 8 cans, and it would be a big loss if I didn't buy it" "After this event, it will be too few and too difficult to find such an affordable combination."
The reporter clicked on the purchase link, and the jump page still displayed "8 large cans of new pumpkin seeds with free shipping nationwide".
Subsequently, the reporter entered the merchant applet labeled "Everyday Fortune Explosion Department Store", at this time the page was displayed as "8 cans of 99 yuan", the word "big" was removed, and the price column became "99 yuan up", and the page also had "snack food sales first" and "190,000 + sold" promotional words.
After clicking "Buy Now", two purchase options appear on the page, which are ↓
"8 cans of crispy pumpkin seeds only cost 99 yuan 100 grams / can"
"It is more cost-effective to increase the amount of crispy pumpkin seeds, 8 large cans of 500 g/can"
The default purchase option on the page is "8 cans of crispy pumpkin seeds only cost 99 yuan, 100 grams / can". After the reporter changed the purchase option, the page displayed the words "8 large cans of crispy pumpkin seeds 500 grams / can" and "the price at hand is 238 yuan". In other words, the actual price of the same pumpkin seed kernel in the video advertisement is 238 yuan, not 99 yuan.
The reporter bought "8 cans of crispy pumpkin seeds for only 99 yuan, 100 grams / can", and received 8 cans of pumpkin seeds a few days later. The jar was measured to be 6 centimeters in diameter and 9 centimeters in height, and the packaging size of the product was a far cry from the one in the video advertisement. The reporter noted that the manufacturer of the product is Bayannaoer Longxing Trading Co., Ltd., which is located in Bayannaoer City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is not "Xinjiang" and "direct sales from the production area" as stated in the video advertisement.
02
"Cabbage price" has become a means of drainage
It is difficult to obtain evidence for consumer rights protection
The reporter's investigation found that the trading platform of the merchant applet of "Everyday Fortune and Explosive Department Store" is Leopard Wind Xungou, and the main business entity is Shanghai Hexuan Information Technology Co., Ltd. On the "transaction evaluation" of the Leopard Wind Xungou platform, the reporter saw hundreds of comments and comments, and many consumers complained that they were deceived after buying "8 large cans of 99 yuan" pumpkin seeds.
"Don't lie, it's not 8 big cans of 99 yuan, very small cans"
"The amount is too small, which is very different from the jar of the live broadcast, and it is all a routine"
"The live broadcast demonstrated a large can, and the actual order became a small can, and when it arrived, it was also a small can, and it was fooled, (the merchant) was suspected of fraud""
"It is not in line with the propaganda, it is written that 500 grams a can, but 100 grams are sent, this is deception......
The reporter fed back to the merchants and the Leopard Fengxun purchasing platform that "8 large cans of new pumpkin seeds are 99 yuan in hand" is misleading.
The Leopard Wind shopping platform replied: "I'm sorry for the bad shopping experience, the merchant is expediting your complaint."
The merchant replied: "Dear, for specific details, we ship according to the order", and agreed to settle.
When the reporter complained to the Leopard Wind Xungou platform again that the video advertisement did not mention the specifications and gram weight, the other party replied, "I am sorry that the merchant has not been able to provide you with satisfactory service, and has upgraded to the platform customer service for you, and it is expected to reply within 48 hours", but as of press time, no reply has been received.
Sha Pengcheng, a senior Internet practitioner, told reporters that video advertising is becoming a means of drainage, attracting popularity with the "cabbage price" far lower than that of similar products, and playing a "size game" on product descriptions to lure consumers to click on relevant links to enter trading platforms such as merchant mini programs. When the consumer enters the actual transaction page, the merchant will mark the actual information of the product in an inconspicuous place. Once the consumer has an objection after receiving the goods, the merchant will shirk the responsibility on the grounds that "the sales page has been indicated" and "the product details have been introduced". In general, shoppers can't find video ads from businesses back then. Moreover, video advertisements will be offline and replaced at any time, and consumers face the problem of difficulty in protecting their rights and obtaining evidence.
03
Low price promotions hide pitfalls
Rational consumption is key
The reporter's investigation found that the hidden consumption traps in low-cost online shopping are endless.
Recently, the incidents of "buying 2 packs of Lilliputian roll paper at a low price online", "spending 25.9 yuan to buy 117 rolls of pocket toilet paper online", and "9 pieces of 9 hairy crabs in Yangcheng Lake in the live broadcast room are actually 5 small crab seedlings" have aroused widespread public attention.
Huang Dacheng, a lawyer at Beijing Guantao Zhongmao Law Firm, pointed out that businesses should comply with the provisions of the Advertising Law when marketing goods, and that merchants deceive and mislead consumers.
Consumption Tips:
In the face of low-price promotion, we should remain rational, do not believe the content of video advertising, be careful of Internet link jumps, and pay attention to the qualifications and credit status of the platform for order payment.
Online shopping should give preference to shopping on large e-commerce platforms with good reputation and perfect after-sales service, and avoid spending on small websites or personal stores from unknown sources.
Before placing an order, you should check the merchant rating, user evaluation, return and exchange policy and other information, and choose a merchant with a good reputation for trading.
Keep chat records, page screenshots, invoices and other relevant shopping vouchers, and make complaints and reports to the platform and relevant departments if necessary.
Reporter/Zhang article